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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29405088">The Terms of Our Relationships</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrUndisclosed/pseuds/MrUndisclosed'>MrUndisclosed</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>NSR- Withinfinite [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>No Straight Roads (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Art, Conversations on, Creation, Friendship, Gen, Longing, TBH maybe it's a power move to like all your crushes photos at once?, The Past, You can pry cooking scenes from my cold dead hands, and the future, sharing food, suggestive dialogue aplenty</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:22:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,198</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29405088</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrUndisclosed/pseuds/MrUndisclosed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>An attempt is made by Eve to work out what exactly Mayday is to Zuke. The answer she gets is both confusing and illuminating. Mayday meanwhile needles and prys for information on Eve and her band mates odd past and current status. Can Zuke save these chatty weirdos from each other with the power of a home cooked meal!?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>NSR- Withinfinite [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2151441</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Terms of Our Relationships</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You can’t be serious.” Eve looked at Mayday, stood atop a ladder. “This is humour, isn’t it?” Mayday was affixing bags of popcorn above the doors in her and Zuke’s ‘home base’ as she heard it called.</p><p>A sewer that had been retrofitted with some homey touches and technological flair. She’d heard there was some sort of hidden venue on this side of town for months but had never bothered to look into it. The entire place had an attempt at looking like a home but...Eve couldn’t help but see a sewer. With some...odd decorations.</p><p>“Nothing funny about fire safety.” Mayday said leaping down from the ladder. “We can’t afford smoke alarms so I figured some big bags of popcorn, if we hear these popping we’re gonna bail.” </p><p>Eve covered her mouth with one hand. “Mayday...be frank with me...is this...some kind of social commentary on the affordability of safety versus the innate desire to live free of such things?” </p><p>“No I just can’t afford smoke alarms.” Mayday shrugged her shoulders. “We’re barely keeping the lights on around here,” Mayday sauntered over to the couch and flopped onto it. She turned on the TV which was covered in thick cracks. </p><p>“I...had no idea you both lived in such,” Eve was sure there was a nice word, “dire straits.” That was not nice but it was much nicer than it could have been. Mayday slapped at the TV remote. </p><p>“We get three square meals a day and we stay dry when we sleep.I call that good enough.” Mayday rubbed at her head. “Sure when it gets rainy it floods and sometimes we get attacked by sewer gators but most of the time it’s chill.” </p><p>“Chill?” Eve replied, stalking around the room. She was wary of every step around the place, sure something might break or leak. She found a little kitchenette, a brickwork oven in the wall. “My word.”</p><p>“Yeah major home improvements.” Mayday said tossing the remote aside, no batteries meant she’d have to rely on the subtitles. Stuck in….Spanish today. “Zuke convinced me to bust that down and he went to work making it into a big oven.”</p><p>“That sounds like him.” </p><p>“Was he always doing stuff like that?” Mayday peered over the top of the couch to watch Eve, realizing this was a chance to learn something about her bandmates mysterious past. </p><p>“He was always handy with a wrench and a frying pan.” Eve said peering into the oven’s depths. “Took him a bit to get the ideas he had but when he had them he would finish them to an impressive standard.” She nodded her head this way and that. “Aesthetically he wasn’t always the neatest.”</p><p>“Whadja mean?” Mayday asked now leaning over the back of the couch. “He made a mess or something?”</p><p>“Well sometimes yes. But I mean...he wasn’t always elegant in his creations. They all worked but they also lacked nuance.” Eve went on and Mayday blinked a few times as she tried to combine the words she knew with the ones she didn’t. </p><p>“So it looked like junk sometimes?” </p><p>“Sometimes yes it looked like he’d made it out of random strips of metal and wire.” Eve went on, Mayday snorted a little at that nodding. </p><p>“Strips of wire and metal are what hold this place together, Zuke’s lil tinker moments are the reason the lights work.” Mayday grinned a big tooth smile at Eve. “I helped too but I gotta be real I have no idea what he does sometimes.” </p><p>“You’ve both certainly made something impressive here.” Eve said half earnestly, a noise at her feet had her look down. “Oh, you three.” She said as Ellie traipsed passed. Mayday leaned over the back of the couch wiggling her fingers to entice the little gator over to her. </p><p>“Who's a good Ellie-belly!?” She coo’d picking up the creature and rubbing her knuckles down the length of her back. “Oooh it’s you! It’s you!” She wiggled the creature around and it let out a low bassy croak. “Oh! Get over here!” Mayday waved and Eve moved to join her.</p><p>“Behold!” Mayday reached under Elli’s collar and came out with two plastic cards. Handing them to Eve who took them. </p><p>“No.” She said, a new set of eyes grew on her forehead. “That’s not even…” She went on as yet more eyes appeared, as if something was defective. But no...these were tiny little licenses for Ellie to operate a helicopter and a van. Eve stared, eyes closing one by one until she was back to just the two wide as saucers. “Mayday...you’ve a laminator surely.”</p><p>“Eve...I have popcorn bags for smoke alarms. I do not own a laminator.” Mayday said delighted as the self proclaimed diva was shaken to her core. She handed back the cards and shook her head. “I know, right?”</p><p>“How?” Eve exhaled and flopped onto the couch next to Mayday and Ellie. “Did...she just always have those?” </p><p>“We just found them one day when washing her.” Mayday said sliding the little cards back under the gator’s collar. “We have no idea how she got them or who gave them to her but they are 100% real.” </p><p>“I just….this is a weird city.” Eve said flatly. She worked with two cyborgs, an all robot boy band, a young girl and a woman who for sixty percent of her adult life was on fire. This was it, this was the straw that took the camel. “I can’t even imagine how this happens.”</p><p>“I mean there’s a unicorn too.” Mayday said and Eve looked at her, eyes wide as she pointed down. “Not like here, here, but there’s totally a unicorn in the city.”  </p><p>“No way.” Eve breathed. “That’s not real.” </p><p>“We gotta get you out of your own head more often.” Mayday told her. “Lotta fun stuff in the city worth seeing.” Mayday went on pointing at the spiderweb cracked screen. “Stuff always going down.” Mayday went on and Eve watched the screen, trying to pick details out past the damage. </p><p>“Why don’t you get a new TV?” Eve asked. </p><p>“I unno, this one works fine. Zuke doesn’t think we have the cash.” Mayday went on and Eve blinked a few times. “Again, popcorn safety.” </p><p>“Zuke should have money.” Eve said. Mayday looked at her. “He has a lot of money. He should anyway.” </p><p> </p><p>“Why?” Mayday asked, eyes narrowing. “Are you paying him to be your secret boyfriend?” </p><p>“No.” Eve snapped back. “He just...he’s good with money and I believe he used to have a lot.” Eve folded her arms over her chest and leaned against the arms of the sofa. </p><p>“Ah.” Mayday pursed her lips and screwed up her face, eyes clenched shut as if that would help her sort out her memories. “I dunno, Zuke never mentioned having lots of cash. We used some to fix this place up but besides that he never mentions money.” </p><p> </p><p>“Hmm.” Eve was sure that wasn’t right, still perhaps not worth pushing. </p><p>“What is he like...secretly rich?” Mayday asked slithering across to Eve, she sensed a secret here. Eve became aware of how close Mayday was getting. “Like secretly lives in a mansion and has ten thousand hot butlers?”</p><p>“No...why are the butlers hot?”</p><p>“The richer you get the hotter the butlers that’s like...math or something.” Mayday said. “The more moolah the more babes you get.” Mayday went on with a grin. “That’s how it works.” </p><p>“I don’t have babes and hot butlers.” Eve said and Mayday frowned at that, eyes narrow. “I do not have those things.” </p><p>“I mean you might. But you got like...standards.” Mayday said tapping her fingers together. Eve looked down at Mayday, sitting up to her full height to tower over the rocker. </p><p>“What...is wrong with standards?” Eve asked and Mayday looked to one side, a smile on her face. “What? What awful thought is about to explode out of you?” </p><p>“I mean...your hot guy butler squad clearly all gotta dress like the hottest guy you know,” Mayday went into her pocket to remove her phone wiggling it, “ol Zuke butler squad.” She showed off a photo of Zuke dressed in a way he’d never dress without immense prompting. A well tailored and fitted black tuxedo, complete with a little red bow tie and silk shirt. Under one arm he had a serving tray and looked ready to scratch his own face off. Eve’s eyes locked on the image. </p><p> </p><p>“Explain.” Eve pointed at the image and Mayday slowly, teasingly, with great effort swiped up to another photo of him in that same outfit. The outfit had dovetails and Mayday was holding them up, delighted, a big stupid smile on her face. Eve’s head tilted to one side. “I have never seen him like this and it is a sight to behold.” </p><p>“So like….At one point for a gig we needed a great big blondie light but we couldn’t source one. So we hit up Dreamfever and they were willing to loan us one for a night.” Another swipe up and it’s Zuke trying to balance a dozen glasses on the tray and looking at it like the whole thing might attack him. “So we didn’t have cash and they asked us to help cater some event. Zuke had to go around offering people hours doves.”</p><p>“Hor d’oeuvres.” Eve said and Mayday blinked at her. </p><p>“What did I say?”</p><p>“Not that.” Eve followed the phone, Mayday moved it slowly but her big eyes kept up. “So he had to dress up, yes.” </p><p>“I had to play in the house band which was….dry.” Mayday wheezed, wiggling her fingers in Eve’s face. “These hands are made for throttling guitar throats and making axes wail, not plucking out delicate house tunes.” Mayday slid to another photograph of her and Zuke adding sticky tape to his tray to hold down the bottles, grinning like they’d solved the world energy crisis. </p><p>“Uh huh.” Eve said, he cut a rather dashing figure. “You were made also to dress up in a….very flowy skirt.” </p><p>“Very flowy.” Mayday said quietly. “It jangled, all the time.” The look on her face was the one that Eve imagined Neon J had back when he had a face, far away and lost in some dark place. “No jangly skirts, ever.” </p><p>“Message received.” Mayday said sliding her finger on Mayday’s phone to go to the next page, the next photo. A far away shot of Zuke sliding amidst a crowd, posture perfect and a pillar of poise. She always said he had an immaculate posture. “Do you...do anything with these photographs?” </p><p>“Eh mostly post them to the online BBJ profile.” Mayday said and Eve nodded getting out her phone. “We aren’t verified yet or nothing but it’s pretty easy to find. It’s the one with Ellie as the profile image.”</p><p>“I mean she is the face of the ensemble.” </p><p>“She is.” Mayday agreed, looking at the gator, it’s head trapped in a shoe. Now hissing and wandering around blind looking for help. Mayday felt her phone shake. “Oh hey...a new follower.” Mayday said airily. Another buzz. “Oh a like.” A buzz. “Oh another like.” A buzz. “This doesn’t have desperate girl energy at all, Eve.” </p><p>“Hush. We are...brand building.” Eve said with a wave of a new hand, her other two hands busy on the phone. “We are making a connection so when you both guest on the next album people will believe the sincerity of it.” </p><p>“Sure we are.” Mayday said feeling the phone vibrate a few more times. “Don’t like them all at once, Eve. Please. For your dignity and mine and the fact...his phone vibrates when you do this too.” </p><p>Eve froze and looked at Mayday over the top of her phone, a smile on her face. “He...doesn’t have a phone right now.” Eve grinned and Mayday’s face turned a little red as she swallowed a laugh. “He...lost it, remember?” Eve didn’t have to fill in the blanks for Mayday. She was there for that whole….incident. </p><p>Zuke’s phone had been lost “at sea” as it were somewhere inside of Eve. Retrieving it seemed impossible and so it became a game of waiting for the damn thing to run out of battery and die. In the meantime he still received calls….and so too did Eve.</p><p>“It stopped ringing huh?” </p><p>“....Was that you calling it?” Eve asked, looking at Mayday who slid back on the couch, Eve crawled closer. “At five in the morning, mid signing event, in the middle of Neon J’s yoga class?” </p><p>“He runs a yoga class?” Mayday asked, Eve looming over her, trapped against the arm of the couch by the towering diva.</p><p>“It’s phenomenal.” Eve told her. “Genuinely worth getting up at six am for.” Eve told Mayday who swallowed nervously. “I can get you an invite. If you’d like?” </p><p>“I….would...love that?” Mayday said and Eve had a terrible, awful wicked look on her face. Had she done something? Was this a bad idea? It was J, maybe it involved random strafe fire from a helicopter. </p><p>“Good. Good.” Eve retreated from Mayday, that smirk still frozen on her face before going back to her phone. “He’s always eager to receive fresh meat.” </p><p>Mayday didn’t say much for a moment trying to work out what she was supposed to say and what needed said. There’s a salient difference she learned recently. “So...what are you and Zuke right now?” </p><p>“I….wish I had a good answer.” Eve said quickly.</p><p>“Give me a bad one.” Mayday said to Eve who looked down at her again, Mayday with arms folded regarding her back with what power she could. Eve pursed her lips and put away her phone, clearly the girl wanted to talk. She folded one leg over the other and considered. </p><p>“I do not know,” Eve started, “I care about him.”</p><p>“That much is obvious.” Mayday said and Eve frowned at her, a hand sprouted from hre back and fastned over Mayday’s mouth. </p><p>“I care about him but there was a time I cared more. Much more.” Eve looks off into the distance, head tilting just a bit. “We hurt each other. Mortal wounds but we recovered and now through chance we’ve been put next to each other again.” She sighs a little at that. “What we had is gone but we can have is vast and I am willing to try again. So is he an- AHHH”</p><p>Eve pulled back her hand as Mayday licked at her palm. “You taste like fancy soap.” Mayday went on. “That’s all cool and stuff but like...I care about him too.” Mayday said. “As much as you think I care, times that by like forty million times more care!” Mayday folded her arms over her chest. “He’s mine,” Mayday said and Eve raised a single eyebrow at that, “I’m his. We’re partners.” </p><p>Eve wasn’t sure what that meant at all. Mayday was important to Zuke, that was obvious to her. She didn’t fully understand why or how or what exactly Mayday did that was so important to Zuke. He was important to her as well, clearly. In what way?</p><p> She had tried to work it out but it was difficult, talking with her was possible but communication at times was difficult. Mindless prattle was simple but topics of...creation and such were difficult. Let alone the idea of the topic of..relationships. </p><p>Their views were warring. That was unfair. Their views didn’t exist in the same place at all. Mayday would argue toward doing anything, everything, as big and bold as it could be done. Meaning was secondary to the experience of being there and creating. There was no message there, just the sound, without inflection and tone but endlessly booming. </p><p>But at times she would...say something or touch the outer edges of an idea that felt immense and the way she could play. There was, as Zuke had said something here. She still wasn’t sure she liked her but she could be civil with the girl.</p><p>“So if you mess him up or hurt him.” Mayday kneeled on the couch to meet Eve’s stare dead on. “I will literally shove my entire fist through your skull. We good?” Mayday held up her fist for Eve to inspect, it wasn't a small fist.</p><p>“Fair terms.” Eve said. There was also that fire, the girl was an inferno all too eager to burn.</p><p>“Great!” Mayday flopped back onto the couch. “So you ever see that one NSR cooking show girl? Is her hair really as big as it looks?” </p><p>“Yes.” Eve said, amazed that for years she was told her moods were erratic and all over the place. It seemed the same could be said of Mayday, one moment threats of harm and the next banter over TV personalities. “Bigger honestly in person.” </p><p>“I don’t think Zuke likes her cooking,” Mayday said tutting and groaning and rubbing her forehead, “he always does that when she’s talking about how to season stuff.”</p><p>“Do the last one again.” Eve said and Mayday jutted out her chin and placed one hand against her forehead, fore fingers splayed out and staring between her pinky and ring fingers, thumb resting on the underside of her ear. “Flawless.” Eve said, holding up her phone.</p><p>“Getting a photo?”</p><p>“Drawing.”</p><p>“Oh god.” Mayday said as Eve’s hands busied on the screen. “She’s drawing me like one of her art girls, is this where you hit on me?” Mayday snickered at the question. Eve looked at her over the top of her phone. </p><p>“I can imagine people falling in love with you, Mayday.” Eve said flatly. “The passion is there, the warmth is certainly all consuming and you’ll brighten up a room.” Eve went on and Mayday felt heat across her jaw. She heard artists were all...a little kinky or was it kooky? All together spooky!? “But alas you are not my type.”</p><p>“Get to know me.” Mayday said, desperate to not be on the backfoot. A low sigh came from the other woman, looking at Eve and her drawing of her. </p><p>“That is the entire idea.” Eve said quietly turning the phone around and Mayday gawked at the quick drawing as if wrought by the hands of a master. Which...well it was. If the Mayday girl was important to Zuke and Zuke was important to her, she could try couldn’t she? </p><p>Make an attempt. Work out what makes this shouty little weirdo call Zuke hers and herself his. There is something to the pedestrian girl Mayday, something that brought Zuke back to music. Something that brought Zuke back to her and that couldn’t have been easy. </p><p>“Did he ever...mention me?” Eve asked Mayday and May wasn’t sure if this answer would hurt but it needed said. </p><p>“Not really. I never asked. I didn’t even know he had a brother.” Mayday went on. “We’re very much an...in the now kinda band.” Mayday replied and diva’s mouth twitched, not a smile and not a frown. “I mean that’s just how it is sometimes. We’re all entitled to right now and we’re all sharing a future. But the past belongs to the people who lived it.”</p><p>Eve shook her head at that and looked at Mayday. “Is that from something?” </p><p>“Sometimes I say cool stuff.” Mayday shrugged her shoulders. “What of it?” Absolutely baffling Mayday. </p><p>“Incoming!” Zuke slid down the ladder from above, grocery bags slung down the length of his arms. “I went to pick up some essentials.” </p><p>“I know this guy,” Mayday said rolling over the top of the sofa to assist with the groceries, “you got a guest player.” Mayday pulled free a few bags of groceries and hopped into the kitchen. Ellie chased after her. “Ohh do I have the FISH bag?” </p><p>“West if this is about the five bucks I owe you, I looked up statute of limitations of brotherly lending and it’s not a thing. So that debt cancels out.” Zuke turned around pointing a finger at Eve. “I don’t think this lawyer is….you’re not West.” </p><p>“Thank goodness for that.” Eve said leaning against the wall as Zuke carried the rest of the groceries to the little kitchen area. He pulled a large slab out of the wall, where somehow he’d crammed in an icebox. </p><p>“We have to work hard to keep food and treats away from Ellie.” Mayday said as she danced around the creature, Zuke’s eyes lingered on Mayday. </p><p>“Yes. Only from Ellie.” Zuke said his eyes sliding from the gator to May and back again, Eve caught it but Mayday alas was being terrorized by the world's tiniest predator. “So hey, what brings you around?”</p><p>“Oh yeah I totally forgot to ask, I figured you invited her.” Mayday said tossing snacks into the freezer with wild abandon. Zuke looked at May and then Eve, a small tired smile on his face.</p><p>“Remember how I said paparazzi could get in super easy?” Zuke said and Eve understood at once.</p><p>“I mean if she’s here I figured you invited her or she was here for you.” Mayday went on hefting the cover back on their icebox, using her feet to scoot Ellie away from the opening. “Either way no harm no foul.” </p><p>“I would have called but,” Eve raised her shoulders and Zuke made a sound. “Which primarily is the reason I am here.” Eve placed a phone down on the counter, lime green and it was mostly screen. “A replacement considering I aided in the loss of your old one.” </p><p> </p><p>“Oh jeez,” Zuke said, looking at the thing like it had come direct from the stars. “This doesn’t look like it was a cheap second hander.” He pursed his lips and hid half behind his hand. </p><p>“AHHHHH!” Mayday said running over and shaking Eve. “Phone, phone your phone,” she said taking a picture of Zuke on her own device quickly. Eve confused swatted at the rocker but got out her phone. “That drawing you did!” Mayday went on and Eve opened it, Mayday held her phone next to Eve's. “It's like we’re twins.” </p><p>“What are you talking about?” Zuke asked as they turned around their phones. He became very aware of the pose and face he was making and stopped at once. “I don’t do that a lot.” </p><p>“You do it so much.” Mayday told him and Zuke moved to put his face on his hand but played it off as a casual lean against the table. “Ahh.” </p><p>“So you’re sketching her now?” Zuke said to Eve who nodded. </p><p>“It was such an impressive likeness of you that to not capture it was a disservice.” Eve said. “You do it a lot.” She agreed with Mayday who took that chance to crow, pointing at Eve with both hands.</p><p>“HAAA, see! We both know you do it.” Mayday couldn’t have looked more pleased right then if she tried. </p><p>“A new tag team of disaster has been unleashed on the world.” Zuke looked skyward. “I was awfully cruel in a past life, wasn’t I?” He returned his attention to the phone. “Oh it’s really nice...Eve you really should have got me some garbage phone.” </p><p>“Nonsense.” She replied. “It’s hardly expensive to me, profits are up all over and considering the ummm….” She looked around the place, eyes lingering on the security system- part was popcorn bags and part 2 was a little gator trying to eat through solid rock to get at fish. “I sort of figure this is an essential piece.” </p><p>“Well...thank you,” Zuke picked it up and turned it around in his big hands, “I’ll be gentle with it.” </p><p>“Worry not,” Eve reached over taking the phone from him. She delighted in the light tapping of fingers that occurred there, she retrieved something else and handed the phone back to Zuke. “I came prepared.” </p><p>“Oh my god.” Mayday said, her grin was in danger of escaping her face and bolting into the street. Eve had decided rather nicely to get Zuke one of those handy little phone protectors to keep his device safe. It was designed by her….with her logos and her color scheme and her name on it. Across the top of the cover a pair of eyes looking out, an eternal staring match. </p><p>Zuke was touched, this was clearly a very expensive gift that was totally unnecessary. He noticed Mayday’s giddy little face at his side, she had something awful to say but was letting him say the nice parts first. Bless her. “Thank you, Eve it’s very touching.” </p><p>“This is like one of those metaphors for your relationship.” Mayday couldn’t not. “Her all over you, surrounding ya.” </p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, May.” Zuke said resting his face in his hands and Mayday with a gasp copied him. Eve made a quick gagging sound and turned away. </p><p>“It’s….it’s too close.” She said frankly, holding up a hand at the pair. “You both can’t be doing that at the same time.”</p><p>“Doing what?” Mayday asked, her eyebrows wiggling up and down despite the palm on her face the wave like movements were obvious.</p><p>“We’re just standing here.” Zuke said a little satisfaction in his voice. The pair held the pose and walked around Eve, advancing in opposite directions so turning to avoid one just led to looking at the other person. Leaning this way and that, smug chin jutting out smiles. Eve had to look directly up after that, reaching out with both hands to hold the pair at bay. </p><p>“You’re both. Just. Awful.” Eve said, her voice shaky as she tried not to break into a bone rattling laugh. “I’m going to look down and if you both don’t have a normal face you’ll be sorry.” </p><p>She looked down and no, they were both monsters, big stpid smiles and mirror images of each other. “You two have committed a grave mistake...attempting to match the diva in a battle of pulling shapes.” Then she made the same face, a horrified gasp from Zuke and Mayday screamed falling back and rolling on the floor. “I have also seen this face a thousand times, Zuke.”</p><p>“Devastating accuracy.” Zuke looked to May. “The rookie has been taken out. But we both survived art school, if you think that’s the only move I have…”</p><p>“Oh no,” Mayday wheezed desperately trying to stand back up but the shakes wouldn’t let her, “not some pretentious pose down.”</p><p>“PRECISELY PRETENTIOUS POSEOFF!” Eve barked back and Mayday couldn’t, that was it, she was done for while the two biggest weirdos she knew made even bigger idiots of themselves. Mayday recovered enough to document the battle on her phone, sure this would be a premier set of posts on the online space. What had Eve called it...brand building? Bridge mending? It was….CERTAINLY something that defied classification. </p><p>It might have lasted all time or it might have lasted twenty minutes, it felt like the former to Mayday who was sure had she been less careful she’d have lost her life in that battle of served looks and strange poses. </p><p>“How do you do that thing you do?” Mayday asked, laying on the Sofa, holding Ellie up in the air with her feet. “That...one pose you do sometimes, Zuke?” </p><p>“Ummm which one?” Zuke asked, a sizzling pan of oil sat in front of him, slowly heating up. With his other hands he slowly rolled crushed up prawns into tight little balls. To the side lay a dozen pieces of bread all chopped up into tight squares onto which he placed each ball as he made it. </p><p>“The umm,” Mayday flailed her hands in the air, “one where you press on your stomach and learn forward with your elbows out.” </p><p>“I do it by doing that.” Zuke said simply and Mayday made a loud grumble in response. “That’s what I do. May.”</p><p>“IT looks so weird and uncomfortable!” Mayday said, looking to Eve. “You’ve seen it right?” She asked and Eve rather than confirm anything just did the same pose and Mayday cried out pointing. Zuke looked up from his work. </p><p>“Huh...that does look kinda weird.” Zuke said almost going to touch his face, but remembering the contents of his hands and the slimy sensation across them stopped himself. </p><p>“You do it when you’re thinking.”  Eve said. “You used to do it when looking at pieces in the galleries.” </p><p>“Ooh thinking pose.” Mayday said. “So Eve said you were cooking back in college too. You always been the iron chef?” </p><p>“West….taught me a little but his idea of a good meal was takeout five days a week.” Zuke smiled at that. “Never from the same place in the same week,” Zuke held up a prawn covered hand and spoke in a deep rumbly voice, “once you find de sweetest delicacies, bro. You make em yourself, you find out what tastes sweetest and make dat!” </p><p>“So he got...take out all the time...to learn to make the food he ordered in?” Mayday asked and Zuke nodded pointing at her with a fork. “Sounds like a weird method.”</p><p>“West.” Zuke and Eve said at the same time as if that explained everything. Zuke dropped a removed crust in the pan and the oil bubbled lightly. He put tops of bread over the prawn balls and moved quickly to place each of the prawn and bread mini-sandwiches into the oil. Sizzling started and Mayday let out an unladylike gargle. </p><p>“Hmmm yeessss…” She mumbled. “Zuke knowing how to make all the food is the best.” </p><p>“West had a weird idea but not a bad one.” Zuke confessed. “I’d rather not have to get take out all the time but he was right about trying everything. I settled on learning how to make it all too.” He took this time to run his hands under that taps and clean off the gunk. </p><p>“Shrimp toast.” Mayday said, waving her hands around. “One of my many favourites. Right next to every single other thing Zuke has ever cooked.” </p><p>“I know the feeling.” Eve said and Mayday smirked over at her, reaching up to retrieve Ellie before sitting up. “He was always creating something in college, his room smelled like heaven and when he opened up the windows you could always count on a small crowd standing around on campus, eyes up on his room with envy.” </p><p>“It wasn’t that bad.” Zuke snickered, fork in hand, watching over the bread and waiting for it to yellow. His face slightly tinged. “Sure once or twice I got heckled to throw out scraps to the passersby.” </p><p>“Most nights.” Eve went on. “If you cracked the lid of your dwelling I imagine people would file down here en-masse.” </p><p>“Oooh that’s an idea.” Mayday said. “Charge for a table at De Junction with Chef Zuke.” </p><p>“Eve would be there with bells on.” Zuke said and the diva rolled her eyes. “Hey you can’t pretend, I know who showed up every night for supper, every single night.” He pointed at her with the fork and she looked away. </p><p>“Oooh. She your taste taster supreme?” Mayday grinned as the diva did her best to turn away. She prowled over to the table and leaned back on nothing, floating in the air resting on absolutely nothing. Mayday looked at her, eyes up and down once or twice. She scooted Ellie under Eve and frowned when nothing happened. “So unfair.” Mayday exhaled. </p><p>“Eve was certainly that. If I made anything for her all I got back was a clean plate.” Zuke said, flipping over the yellowing chunks of bread and prawn, crisping around the edges. He’d opted to use a fancy salt, chicken salt to give that extra flavor zap. He could smell the faintest hints of it in the air. </p><p>“It’s rude to waste food.” Eve replied airily. “If you made it then it should be enjoyed.” </p><p>“You certainly enjoyed it.” Zuke laughed a little to himself. “I still remember when I helped with that bake sale...I’ve never seen someone eat that much in one sitting.” </p><p>“Ha.” Mayday cackled as she swore Eve lowered toward the ground very slightly. “I mean...if you can eat Zuke...all his food has gotta be easier.” </p><p>“I didn’t!” Eve fumed a dozen arms sprouting up, balled into fists before with a long inhalation she stopped. All the hands pointing at Mayday as they retreated. “No...I’m not...indulging you. I’m not….I also didn’t have THAT much, Zuke! It was for a good cause.” </p><p>“It was, Eve.” Zuke agreed with a grin. The room went quiet save for the pop of oil as everyone waited for the food to be theirs. A quiet harmony, marred only by the sound of feet above the hissing pop of the oil, a good momen. </p><p>Zuke collected the food from the pan with a strainer, batting it against the side of the sink to get rid of excess oils. He grabbed a small wooden bowl and moved the contents from pan to strainer to bowl and Mayday started to bounce restlessly. The worst thing about being in the kitchen is all the waiting. How do you not chew through your own hands, Zuke? </p><p>He made his way over to the two of them placing down a bowl of what looked like- “Ketchup, plus sweet dipping sauce,” Zuke said, “now you’re supposed to use forks for this,” he said placing down a trio of forks, “but you can use your hands.” He put the bowl down and Mayday and Eve made their choices. “Animals. The pair of you.” Zuke said with a grin as he picked up a fork. </p><p>“You can’t expect us to wait,” Mayday said with a loud crunch following her statement and then no more words, just a low groan of satisfaction. Zuke speared himself a piece and ghosted it over the top of the little dipping sauce mountain he had made. He looked to Eve, eyebrow raised. </p><p>“It’s best when warm.” Eve said refusing to look at him popping the entire bite into her mouth quickly chewed and went for another. Mayday made a noise pointing at Eve as she took another one, hand flailing. Zuke watched calmly chewing. </p><p>“She’s too fast!” Mayday cried as Eve went for a third. “Zuke she’s a black hole!” Mayday said snatching a pair from the bowl as Zuke ate slowly. He maybe should have used more starch...a little less salt. Eve rolled her eyes at the comment. </p><p>“I enjoy a well made meal,” Eve said taking what May was sure was her fifth piece of this little slice of shrimp heaven now, “Zuke doesn’t deserve a single crumb left on this plate that’s how good it is.”</p><p>“You wanna eat the plate too?!” May grabbed for another, Zuke speared another toasty morsel and ran it through the sauce. This was really more of a snack than a meal to be honest.</p><p>“I think I need a stronger sauce,” Zuke said absently, “it’s not quite as zesty….too much ketchup. Two to one mix next time.” He said nodding as Eve slid a piece of shrimp toast through the sauce and chewed on it. </p><p>“You have to appreciate every bite you get,” Eve told Mayday who just looked at her wide eyed, “it’s good.” </p><p>“I appreciate every bite all the more cause I’m getting robbed!” Mayday swiped the entire bowl, with one hand. Zuke leaned over to spear a bite before she ran off. “COVER ME ELLIE!” Mayday yelled as she ran and Eve gave chase. </p><p>“You can’t have all of those to yourself! That’s greedy!”</p><p>“Oh no better you have them all to yourself!”</p><p>“We’re not discussing that!” </p><p>“The chicken salt was a good idea,” Zuke let out a low satisfied sigh full of steam, “that was a really good find.” Zuke closed his eyes and let the flavours was over him, the crunchy texture and the pop of prawn in his mouth. Each bite a little sweet burst of flavour. Not a hard dish to make but always a nice treat after a long day, good for company. Well… He cracked an eye open and watched as May flailed off the ground, held up by a dozen arms as Eve tried to navigate a position to snatch at the food without getting a boot to the chin. </p><p>Who in the world would want a quiet life? Not rockstars, not divas...never in Vinyl City.</p><p>The night was capped with a celebratory first post from Zuke’s new phone, a quick shot that only Eve could take with a spare limb or two. Three people making the same, hand on face pose with their chins stuck out. Mayday at the front, Zuke leaning on her head and Eve leaning on his head. All of them looking at a blank page. </p><p>	“Thinking of song titles got us like…”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I debate if all these stories belong in the same bigger story or chapters work better. There's lots of slow burn for me and I like characters who yack a lot and exist together in weird ways. Sharing food and finding yourself is often more important than rushing into things. Also no Ellie's mysterious past will never be revealed, you will never learn of her times in the mysterious Gator Racing League.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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